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LOCH SALMON-FISHING. 



WHEN salmon-fishing in the Tweed many years ago, with one 

 of the most scientific habitues of that river, I casually asked 

 him whether a late celebrated Professor was really so good a 

 fisher as he got credit for ? He answered, with a shrug, " Oh, 

 he's only a trouter." Had the speaker been only a salmoner, 

 a plain inference might be drawn ; but he was undeniably as 

 expert at small fish as large. Indeed, I cannot conceive an 

 adept at salmon-fishing who has not laid the foundation by a 

 thorough knowledge of all the best modes of capturing trout. 

 For my own part, I began at six years old, with a crooked pin 

 and worm, to dabble for minnows and loaches, being gradually 

 promoted to a hook and float for perch-angling ; then ascend- 

 ing to burn-trout with bait, which naturally led the way to 

 burn-trout with fly. 



Once fairly entered at fly, my progress was rapid. I soon 

 became dissatisfied with my basket unless it contained some 

 good ones ; and when large yellow trout in summer became 

 shy of rising to artificial flies, I changed the lure to minnows, 

 and other natural baits. At this time, too, I was a keen and 

 successful pike-troller, and these fresh-water sharks first whet- 

 ted my taste for really big fish. Having the advantage, how- 

 ever, of being near some fairish sea-trout streams, one autumn 

 convinced me that the Salmo trutta made the best sport of 

 any fish I had yet tried. No doubt large, lazy, well-fed yel- 



2 A. 



